St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1887-11-12


Was I dreaming That Was my
first thought No. Iput my hand
upon Buff. who had risen to his fact
aud stood with arcl,sd back. aud
half showing his teeth as he con-
tinued to utter low. deep growl.
but he lid not offer to advance.
There. sitting in the opposite
arm chair. I beLeld the b surs of al
old woman. whose eyes gls-si
siercely at me from ont face all
wrinkles and dried skin. more like
the features VI n mummy than any
thing can recall.
The longer gazed ut the occu-
pant Of the opposite chair. tie more
,li'r she appeared to me. until !
seemed able to see through the
strange figure as il it Was trnnspar-
ent. Still it was quite distinct, and
I even noted tie outline III high
Norman cap. loose sleeves. aud
nigh l,eeled boots upon the feet Of
the figure, which We're crossed and
extended toward the e,nbers of the
,irs. Long. bony fingers aud thin
hands were placed upon the two
arms Of the chair. All this I noted;
but the eyes glared ut me as though
they were composed Of phosphorus.
aud had n weird fascination ia them
all the while.
Still Buff kept his position. &C.
conpauied by that low growl and
tix-d gaze. felt cold chills run
down my back. aud though l trust
that 1 ann no coward. yet l confess
to feeling decidedly ''s'aky" just
then.
We are told that serpents have q
power Of fixing their eyes upon
birds to 40 charm tl,em--so dnze
ti,em-that the poor victims cannot
stir. The same sort of influence
seemed to bind both tue dog aud
myself. for neither appeared able
TO move.
Exactly how long this state of
dormnucy continued l know not
II seemed hOnrs to me. bat prOba-
! !,iv it was but ten or fifteen min
utes.
"Cannot I break this spclis" !
said to myself.
As one wrenches himself from
the benumbins presence Of night
mare. suddenly. by powerful OK
ercise Of the will. spraug to my
feet, while the dog also straiyhten-
sL his body aud looked iuto my
face. as though he too bad been re-
iisveL frvm some mesmeric inhu.
ence.
The charm was broken, aud we
both breathed freer.
| / looked once more at that big
armchair. twas empty!
Lighting . fresh candle and put
ting on some more wood upon the
GOALS, l soon gave the room a more
cheerful aspect. Looking ut my
watch, / found that it was l o'clock.
aud my own feelings also indicated
that it was time to rstire. ] was
soon asleep. nor dill / awake until
reused by the landlord It Z O'Clock
the next morning. MS l had request
ed.
Ny probate business occupied me
all that day. and it was nut until
evening THAT / was once more seat
ed on the broad veranda with my
host. Told him that l had had .
strange experience the previous
night, and detailed the matter 10
him. His answer ut first Was that
1 hnl slept in my char aud Cream
s.i this whole story.
| told him that was Just the con-
clusivu that should Como to. rs !
was not believer in ghosts. were
it not that had II very faithful aud
inco. ruptible witness Ut the whole
affair. I then explained the con-
duct of Buff, which seemed to sur
prise the old Dutcllman more than
the story Of my own experience.
"You might have dreamed that
Of the dog rs well as tho rest" he
added finally.
| At that ,upment We were joined
by the oil t.n.ilady. to whom her
husband repeated the story ] had
Just told him She listeLod atten-
lively. aud gave especial attention
to the description of Bluffs conduct.
evidently having more faith in the
dog than in me, who was stranger
to her. suddenly she left ms. aud.
coming back again after few mo.
ments absence. she said 10 her hus-
band:
Carl. yesterday was the 9Th Of
October"
i EYES," answered the husband.
"Don't You remember that datee'
| mo"
/ swell, that was the time. o.
in lre Cummings told me, whell
Madame LA Fargo WIS murdered.
twenty years ago. in that very
room"
i The anniversary Of a murder
committed upon the former occu.
tpaut Of the house. in the room
where slept last night? Is that
Is idea?" asked, with not . little
interest.
Exactly. She was hung to one
IT the Iafters 10y band u Free
Riders. who attacked and robbed
the house on the night Of October
5th. tS3A. She was Que Of the ear
" French settlers Uf this part Ol